Festoon decoration.



No. 720,367. PATENTED FEB. 10, 1903. W. G. LUCAS. PESTOON' DECORATION.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1902. N0 MODEL.

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"lllllll WITNESSES: INVENTOR THE Nonms PETERS 00.. Pnproumo..wns 1mumu o c V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. LUCAS, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

FESTOONV DECORATION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 720,367, dated February 10,1903.

Application filed July 25, 1902. Serial No. 116,940. (No model.)

To all whont it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. LUCAS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey Gity,in the county of Hudson and State ofNew Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements'in Festoon Decorations, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to festoon decorations suitable for any occasion where such attractions may be desired. I construct such decorations of tissue-paper or other suitable material of colors suited to the desired effect.

The novelty of my invention consists in cutting the material into blanks to resemble a pressed flower having four indented petals which are assembled and pasted together, first one blank upon another only at or near the ends of two opposite petals, then two opposite petals of the succeeding blank being pasted only at or near the ends to the two free petals adjacent to those last pasted, the free petals of the terminal blanks being pasted to cardboard protectors, as hereinafter described, forming a festoon susceptible of being condensed into compact form or extended to suit requirements, all of which is hereinafter more fully explained, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows the festoon condensed, also the adjustable stop attached to the cord; Fig. 2, a suspended section of the festoon, showing alternate petals attached to each other at theirindented ends; Fig. 3, a flattened flower of four indented petals, the dark spots indicating the paste applied to one pair of cooperatin g petals; Fig. 4, the entire festoon vertically suspended by the cord, but held at a definite position on the cord by the stop. Fig. 5 shows the 'festoon fully extended.

Like letters refer to like parts, as S, stop; 0, cord; P, petals; I, indents; T, paste; R, protector.

Slight variations as to forms may be resorted to without departing from the merits of my invention. 7

In constructing my festoon I first provide a cutting-die practically conforming to the flower-shaped blank, Fig. 3, and for applying the paste a stencil-plate of dimensions suited to cover a definite-sized sheet of the tissuepaper or other material. This plate is divided into sections a little larger than the greatest diameter of the flower shape. Then each section is perforated to match all four of the petals, as indicated on Fig. 3 by the dark spots T. Now spread smoothly upon a suitable surface a sheet of the material. Then place the stencilnpon the sheet and apply the paste in each section to only two of the petals, as shown in Fig. 3 at TT. Remove the stencil, and then quickly spread over the paste-prepared sheet another sheet of material. Press it down gently upon the paste. Then over-this place the stencil and apply the paste through the unused holes,which will correspond to the two blank petals shown in the drawings. Thus continue laying on the sheets and applying the paste alternately until the required number of sheets have been pasted together. When the paste has become dry, with the cutting-die set to cut the blanks, as shown in Fig. 3, cut through the mass of sheets. On removing the product from the die it will be seen that the petals are alternately and oppositely pasted to each other in a manner that when the block is drawn apart it will present the appearance of a combination of flowers, as shown in Figs. 2, 4c, and 5. Having thus prepared the festoon proper, I attach by pasting to each terminal a protector cut from cardboard with the die used for the petals, or other designs may be substituted, to which I paste the free ends of each terminal petal. One end of a cord of suitable length is attached to one of the protectors, the free end being passed through the center of the entire compact mass and prevented from returning by any suitable attachment, preferably a ring. Upon this cord the wreath may be extended or contracted at pleasure, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, or closely packed for boxing or storage. (See Fig. 1.) There may be occasions requiring a detention of a portion of the wreath upon the cord, as shown in Fig, i. For this purpose I attach to the cord an adjustable stop possessing within itself sufficient grip to rigidly grasp the cord, and thereby retain the flowery mass at any position when suspended vertically or at any angle.

Having described and shown the component parts of my improved festoon and my method of producing and combining them, the result is obvious. Decorations of this class have before been constructed from tissue-paper out into shapes which required pasting together at the middle and at their four corners. WVhen thus shaped and united and the mass drawn apart, the middle pasting creates opposing convex surfaces, and therefore between them a corresponding gapping space which encircles the wreath, while the sides are necessarily partially collapsed and no special efiect is produced. My method obviates this defect, because the flowershaped blanks do not require pasting at the middle, and the petals are only pasted alternately and upon opposite sides. Thus alternate petals are drawn in opposite directions, formingacompact,evenly-shaped,and flowery festoon.

I have deemed it unnecessary to describe any specially-constructed gripping-stop, as there are now many well-known simple devices that are adapted to that purpose.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A festoon decoration composed of flowershaped blanks, cut from tissue-paper or other suitable material, each blank having four indented petals, said blanks being pasted together, first one blank upon another only at or near the ends of two opposite petals of each blank, two opposite petals of succeeding blank being pasted only at or near the ends to the two free petals adjacent to those last pasted, in like manner the petals being pasted together until the desired number of blanks to complete the festoon has been united, substantially as shown and described.

2. A festoon decoration com posed of flowershaped blanks, cut from tissue-paper or other suitable material, each blank having four indented petals, said blanks being pasted together, first one blank upon another only at or near the ends of two opposite petals of each blank, then two opposite petals of the succeeding blank being pasted only at or near the ends to the two free petals adjacent to those last pasted, the free petals of the terminal blanks being pasted to cardboard protectors, substantially as shown and described.

3. A festoon composed of flower-shaped blanks cut from tissue-paper or other suitable material, each blank having four indented petals, said blanks being pasted together, first one blank upon another only at or near the ends of two opposite petals of each blank, then two opposite petals of the succeeding blank being pasted at or near the ends to the two free petals adjacent to those last pasted, the free petals of the terminal blanks being pasted to cardboard protectors, a cord attached to one of the protectors, and passing centrally through the length of the festoon,substantially as shown and described.

4. A festoon composed of flowershaped blanks, each blank having four indented petals, said blanks being pasted together only at or near the ends of alternate opposite petals, the free petals of the terminal blanks pasted to cardboard protectors, a cord attached to one of the protectors, and passing longitudinally through the festoon, and an adjustable stop attached to said cord, allsnbstantially as shown and described.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 24th day of July, A. D. 1902.

WILLIAM C. LUCAS.

lVitnesses:

W. E. Bolsn, J. M. KEEP. 

